Chapter Text
“My lord, our enemies sustained severe losses to their ranks and have recalled all of their remaining troops.”
The woman’s voice echoed through the stone halls, calm but commanding. She appeared to be addressing no one at all, since the throne standing in the center of the room was completely empty, but her head was lowered in reverence to what appeared to be no one in particular.
If one were to glance up, though…
Perched precariously on the edge of an alcove high above, Tsukasa Tenma, esteemed dragon god and hope of the people, kicked his feet idly in the air, boredom on his face as he coiled his golden tail tighter around his body. The dragon god’s elbow rested on top of his thigh, hand propping his chin up as he surveyed the people gathered below, his long, tied up pink-tipped blond hair falling over a shoulder from that position.
No one dared to breathe too loudly in the presence of a god. When the war began a year ago, the enemy kingdom had initially expected its campaign to end within a few weeks. What they hadn’t anticipated, however, was that Tsukasa’s kingdom would have a god on their side that could easily turn the tide of a battle in the blink of an eye. Tsukasa was the kingdom’s most terrifying weapon, and his appearance on the battlefield alone was more than enough to make his enemies think twice before doing anything.
After all, he was a god, and gods were always on a much higher level than ordinary mortals.
It took Tsukasa a few seconds to acknowledge her words, and when he did, he sounded entirely dismissive.
“Mhm.”
The one who had delivered the report was one of the kingdom’s highest-ranking commanders. Her face was always pinched into a solemn expression, and she didn’t seem surprised that the divine being hardly cared about her report despite having played a huge role in the battles. Unlike her, though, the other commanders who had never spoken with Tsukasa before seemed almost affronted at the god’s attitude, but the woman was quick to pick up on this, from the way she immediately continued with her report.
“Thus, it is unlikely that they’d return to cause trouble anytime soon, for they’re in no shape to do so at present. The King declares the matter solved, and we sustained near zero casualties. We would like to thank you for your—”
“What a shame. I was hoping to dazzle them with more displays of my power!”
The woman stopped.
“…?”
Tsukasa promptly jumped off the ledge, landing with a perfect twirl before her.
“Thanks for the report; it’s good to know that the war might actually be ending.” Behind the group, Tsukasa caught sight of the Prince, Toya Aoyagi, stepping into the room and standing by the doorway once he realised what he’d walked into. “All of you should go back and rest—you’ve worked hard.”
On that note, Tsukasa strolled through the crowd, humming softly as they parted and left a wide berth around him. It was a pretty funny sight, but Tsukasa was more focused on the newcomer for him to laugh at the fearful humans.
Toya held himself with a kind of regality which certainly suited the prince. Not a single hair on his head was out of place, carefully split into the two colors even when bound into a long ponytail. His usual outfit usually consisted of fine silks that complemented the prince well, but because of the recent battles, Toya hadn’t taken off his armour just yet.
“Tsukasa-senpai,” the boy greeted—ah, bless his heart, Tsukasa thought, he’s still so very polite. “You seem to be in a good mood. Where are you planning on going now that everything is over?”
The dragon grinned at him, sharp fangs flashing briefly.
“Why do you ask? Do you want me gone that much?”
“Of course I don’t! You’re my senior and my friend. However, we are aware that gods are very free-spirited, so my father, the Emperor, would also like to arrange for any forms of transport you might need should you decide to go elsewhere.”
Tsukasa hummed. While that was very thoughtful of Toya and his father, he already had other plans in mind.
Memories of waist-length purple, cyan-streaked hair, fox-like eyes of topaz, and a coy smile flashed through his mind.
“Now that the war is over, there’s no need for me to remain any longer.” Already, Toya seemed to understand what, or who he was talking about.
“Ah, so you’re headed to the shrine.” The blue-haired prince followed Tsukasa into the sunlit courtyard outside, and the dragon god hummed in agreement.
“Yep! I think I’m going to pay Rui a visit.”
⋆⭒˚｡⋆
The steep gravel-filled path coiled all the way up the mountain, the road ahead shrouded by a thin veil of mist. A deafening and haunting silence hung in the air, bringing a sense of dread to any person who dared to walk along this path… only for it to be interrupted by a flash of gold that streaked up the path, sending a few pebbles tumbling away in its wake.
Surrounded by thick shrubbery and dense undergrowth, the fear of attack by any dangerous creatures hiding within the forest kept most of the villagers from frequently travelling up the mountain. Tsukasa himself warned the people to only travel that way on special occasions, for it would be difficult to hold any rescue operations on ordinary days.
However, the path would eventually lead to the shrine hidden at the very top, high above the palace and villages below. That shrine was dedicated to worshipping Tsukasa, watched over by Rui Kamishiro, Tsukasa’s kitsune familiar and legendary pain in the ass, and Toya’s snake yokai boyfriend, Akito Shinonome.
A few decades ago, Tsukasa had asked Rui to stay in the shrine, protect the people, and watch over the kingdom so that they didn’t accidentally destroy themselves whenever Tsukasa was gone. Rui had taken the task far more seriously than he’d intended, remaining in the shrine ever since and even going out to find his own reluctant student.
Unfortunately, that also meant that their meetings had grown few, though Tsukasa tried to visit once in a while. They were close friends, and no matter how much distance the dragon fought to place between them, Tsukasa could never fully ignore the way his heartbeat sped up a bit more every time he thought of the fox spirit.
He immediately shook his head to clear his mind of those thoughts. They were rather pointless to have, and in fact, they were more confusing than anything else. It didn’t help that Rui wasn’t oblivious to this little fact, and the kitsune was keen on exploiting it to his heart’s content.
And with every brush closer to that line which separated them from being more than ‘just friends’, Tsukasa felt a part of his heart die a little more each time.
Behind him, a twig snapped beneath someone’s footsteps, and Tsukasa’s eyes narrowed. He stopped, posture tensing up as he turned to the source of the noise—
Then, a soft and lyrical voice called out from the bushes beside him.
“Oya? My, my, I never thought that the almighty Dragon Lord would grace my humble shrine with his presence. It’s truly an honour~”
Upon hearing that voice, Tsukasa’s guard lowered instantly, prompting him to straighten again. Even as he pretended to scowl, he couldn’t quite hide the affection in his voice when he replied.
“It’s only been a year since my last visit, Rui. Also, was that scare really necessary?”
The bushes rustled, but the playful kitsune didn’t emerge from the foliage.
“Ah, and what a painfully lonely year it has been, my beloved Tsukasa-kun! Did you not miss me at all? I never took you for the cruel sort, my dear! Also, you know you love being surprised by me, hehe~”
Huffing, Tsukasa crossed his arms in feigned annoyance, watching as his kitsune familiar, Rui Kamishiro, finally deigned to step out from the shrubbery, a coy smile resting on his lips with every step closer. The kitsune’s unbound hair swayed with his movements, plain brown sandals sinking slightly into the gravel-lined path.
Despite his words earlier, Rui didn’t look like Tsukasa’s absence actually bothered him. Instead, he continued scanning Tsukasa’s face with some sort of hunger that sent a small shiver down the dragon's spine, red-lined twin gems of topaz glittering with a mixture of what looked to be relief and longing.
“Well then, I sincerely apologise for neglecting you. As you can see, I’ve come to repent by gracing you with my company, and I don’t intend on disappearing again soon.” The god tilted his head, his swept up waist length blond hair swishing with that movement. As Rui gradually drew closer to him, Tsukasa suddenly found it incredibly difficult to breathe, and he became all too aware of the heat beginning to rise in his cheeks.
He’s enrapturing, Tsukasa thought, sunset coloured eyes wide while he stood there, fully incapable of moving from his spot. Completely oblivious to this, Rui came to a stop directly before the god, moving so close that Tsukasa could catch a whiff of his subtle floral scent of bergamot and vanilla.
You’re so beautiful—
Rui laughed gently, and the spell shattered. Feeling slightly breathless, Tsukasa could only fall into the kitsune’s awaiting arms as Rui’s smile grew softer than before, and he was swept into a warm embrace.
“Welcome back, Tsukasa-kun.” The blond dragon god melted into the other’s hold, burying his face into Rui’s shoulder and squeezing his eyes shut.
Here, at long last, he was home.
⋆⭒˚｡⋆
The walk to the shrine was more peaceful with Rui by his side. Once inside the compound, Tsukasa was quickly ushered into the private resting area close to the bedrooms.
The interior of the shrine was warm, the afternoon sunlight filtering in through paper screens to cast the room in soft light. Outside, wind chimes tinkled in the subtle flow of wind, and the gentle rustle of leaves only contributed to the tranquil ambience of the shrine.
There was something else, though. A thrum of power that surged through the walls and the floorboards, entirely unnoticeable to ordinary mortals. It was one reason Tsukasa enjoyed spending time in the shrine, for while he was up here, within the space that heard countless prayers to him, Tsukasa finally felt at ease and filled with vitality.
…or, maybe it was because of the kitsune currently pouring a cup of tea across from him, sleeves slipping back just enough to reveal the elegant movements of his slender hands, steady and precise. Even while he was focusing on serving his god, the faint hint of a smirk never left Rui’s face.
Tsukasa’s eyes lingered just a moment longer on those hands.
Soon, a cup of steaming hot green tea was placed on the table before Tsukasa, and the god happily accepted it. On the seat across from him, Rui smiled at him with his hands tucked under his chin, the long sleeves of his shrine robes almost dipping into his own cup of tea.
“So, how have you been, Tsukasa-kun?” The god took a slow sip of tea, relishing the pleasant warmth that rushed down his throat. “I must say, the shrine is very high up and away from civilization, but we still hear many stories of your magnificent feats during the war.”
“Well, then, aren’t you already well caught up on everything?”
“It’s different! I want to hear it from you~” Tsukasa took another long sip of tea from his cup, mostly to hide his expression of mortification from Rui’s sight.
“Can you two stop acting gay right in front of my room?” A sleepy and grumpy voice called from the door to Tsukasa’s left. Rui’s self-appointed disciple, Akito, stuck his head out from his bedroom, glowing olive green eyes narrowed in annoyance. “You talk very loudly.”
In spite of this, Tsukasa’s eyes still lit up upon seeing the snake spirit.
“Ah, Akito! It’s nice to see you again. Join us for some tea?”
The ginger-haired man walked right past them, yawning and stretching his arms above his head.
“No thanks. I wouldn’t want to intrude on your… private time together.”
From the soft laugh that escaped Rui’s mouth, Tsukasa had a feeling that he was about to witness another argument between the two.
“Well, you certainly are grumpy this afternoon, Shinonome-kun. What brings you out of hiding, anyway? I thought you were a… what did you call it again? A nocturnal spirit?”
Akito whipped his head around, a deep scowl on his face. Rui simply giggled, lifting his hand slightly to his mouth.
“I just told you yesterday—nevermind, you just want to embarrass me in front of other people.” The young man sighed, rubbing his forehead as he stared at the two expectant people watching him.
“I’m going on a lunch date with Toya.”
“So romantic… Ah, they grow up so fast…!”
“Can you not?!”
Tsukasa probably added fuel to the fire with his reply. “If you’re feeling nervous, I don’t think Rui and I mind dropping by the place to give you emotional support.”
“Absolutely not. Please stay out of my love life.”
Rui snickered. “You do realise that this only makes me want to not listen to you, right?”
“You—!” Akito took one menacing step towards Rui, but it was hard for him to look scary when his cheeks were that pink.
The dragon took pity on the poor snake spirit. “Good luck on your date with Toya, then. He talks about you a lot—I can tell that he likes you very much.”
“…right, thanks. Oh, also,” Akito turned back to Rui. “I’ll return with Toya to perform the protection ritual later, so you can stay at the festival for as long as you want.” The kitsune nodded, but something else piqued Tsukasa’s curiosity. After Akito left, he directed the question to Rui.
“What festival was he talking about?”
Rui tilted his head slightly. “Oh, you don’t know? There’s a summer festival in the village tonight, and it happens only once a year. I never get to attend because of my shrine duties, but since Akito can perform the ritual in my stead, I can go this year.”
Tsukasa nodded. “Sounds fun—”
“Say, Tsukasa-kun, would you like to come to the festival with me?”
The god promptly choked on his tea.
“I—wha—sorry…?”
Rui looked as if he hadn’t anticipated that reaction, and frankly, neither did Tsukasa. His cheeks felt oddly hot now, but the god really blamed it on the hot weather… the hot weather he was entirely immune to as a dragon.
“It’s been a while since we got to spend time together, no? It’d be fun to experience the delights of the mortal realm again.”
Tsukasa wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea, but there was a slight problem.
“The people will recognise us, though. Our appearance together will definitely cause panic amongst the mortals.”
He was met with a cheeky grin and a wink.
“Don’t worry, I’ve already thought of a solution for that. All you need to do is trust me.” Tsukasa stared warily at his kitsune familiar, who simply giggled some more at the look on his face.
“…that has never led to anything good.”
Indeed, only a few hours passed before Tsukasa finally realised what he’d just gotten himself into, and it was far too late to change his mind.
“Rui, why the fuck are we disguising ourselves as Akito and Toya?”
Currently, they were standing over the edge of the path which overlooked the festival below. Already, the evening sky was glowing with the warm lights of golden lanterns, and from high up, Tsukasa could see the people moving between stalls like tiny ants.
Beside him, Rui glanced up from where he was completing the final touchups to his face. His face, Tsukasa realised with some irritation, which looked very much like Toya’s.
Setting aside the fact that they were pretending to be the prince and his rumoured partner, Tsukasa didn’t know if he’d enjoy watching the kitsune he liked dress up as someone who was basically Tsukasa’s younger brother. Unlike him, though, Rui clearly shared no such reservations, happily doing Tsukasa, well, technically Akito’s face with the snake spirit’s usual makeup.
“You said that you didn’t want to be recognised, right? This is my solution~”
“Your solution is to impersonate the crown prince!”
“Is there a problem with that?”
“Yes! We’ll still be drawing attention to ourselves! Why are we doing this anyway?! You can do a ‘normal person’ illusion just fine!”
Rui leaned away from the pocket mirror in his hand to tap his chin thoughtfully.
“Hmm… I’m not too sure, actually. Oh, I think I got this idea because Shinonome-kun told me that my only job is to act like I’m the mascot of the shrine, so I think this counts as revenge for that?”
“You can’t be serious!”
The kitsune turned with a pout on his face. “Come on, Tsukasa-kun, indulge me a little, okay? You’re the best person for the job, and it’s not like Aoyagi-kun’s love life isn’t public knowledge by now. We’re just… reinforcing the image while giving you an opportunity to enjoy the mortal life!”
Tsukasa was rendered utterly speechless. Rui eventually returned to his makeup, but as the god observed his movements from behind, there was something off about the transformation.
“Wait, your eyes haven’t changed.”
The kitsune paused for a moment to study them before brushing his words off. “Indeed, but I doubt anyone would notice at night. The magic works in a way that it won’t be able to transform you fully, and it always leaves a few traits to expose who you really are. For instance, your hair is still a little blond compared to the true Shinonome-kun.”
Tsukasa’s hand immediately flew up to his hair in a self-conscious gesture, but then Rui was snapping his pocket mirror shut, slipping it back into his robes before grabbing hold of Tsukasa’s wrist.
Turning back once, the kitsune beamed at him, topaz eyes twinkling in the light of the lanterns below.
“Let’s go and have some fun, shall we?”
⋆⭒˚｡⋆
Witnessing a god partake in human festivities while wearing the face of another yokai was rare, but definitely not impossible.
Case in point, Tsukasa Tenma, the almighty God of War and Fortune, feared by many and respected by all, who was also now pretending to be a certain snake spirit. Sometimes, Tsukasa also wondered what in the world he was even doing with his immortal life.
As they made their way down the mountain, Tsukasa noted how the lanterns hung from wooden posts and tree branches, glowing in soft reds and golds that turned the path into a river of light. Even from far away, Tsukasa could already hear the clamour and sound of the festival, the people finally willing to let loose after that period of uncertainty during the war.
He supposed it was rewarding to see, in a way.
Rui was really getting into the role of acting like Toya, or maybe it was because he was already as elegant and poised as the crown prince. On the other hand, Tsukasa was having a bit of trouble adjusting, especially with Rui constantly making him slip up.
Their appearance together definitely caused a commotion, but only because the people were delighted to see that their favourite crown prince and his partner were enjoying the festivities. It didn’t take long for the word to spread, and then Tsukasa found himself getting bombarded with offers of food.
“My Lord, would you like to try some yakitori? They’re freshly grilled!” Tsukasa didn’t get to say anything before the skewers were shoved into his hands.
“Could I interest the handsome Prince Aoyagi’s partner in some takoyaki too?”
“How about taiyaki?”
Throughout the entire ordeal, Tsukasa kept shooting looks of despair and utter betrayal in Rui’s direction, but the kitsune barely did anything other than steal bites of food off the skewers in Tsukasa’s hands, occasionally drawing gasps of adoration from the villagers. This almost always prompted another round of food being shoved into Tsukasa’s hands while leaving him with no time to react.
This bastard! He planned this from the start! Clearly happy that he wasn’t the center of attention, Rui snacked happily on the food while laughing at Tsukasa’s demise. I should’ve seen this coming!
Thankfully, after drinking his fill of watching Tsukasa suffer, Rui finally spoke up with an uncanny imitation of Toya’s voice.
“Thank you for your enthusiasm, everyone, but I fear that I’d prefer to spend the rest of the night alone with my partner. The food was very delicious.”
Upon hearing this, Tsukasa watched in shock as the villagers actually backed down, though he didn’t miss the way they simply lingered a few paces behind the pair, clearly unwilling to let any potentially drama-worthy things escape. Too bad for them, though, since Rui and Tsukasa both knew how to control their voice levels enough for only the two of them to hear the conversation.
“I can’t believe you,” Tsukasa hissed at the fox spirit, eyes narrowed. “That was positively evil of you, Rui!”
“It’s ‘Toya’ or ‘Toya-sama’ to you~”
“You know Akito doesn’t call Toya that!”
Rui only patted Tsukasa’s shoulder in faux comfort. “There, there, my dear Tsukasa-kun, I apologise for teasing you so much, but you’re really just so easy to rile up.” If they weren’t in public, Tsukasa might’ve considered smacking Rui over the head with his fan.
“You are not forgiven.” Unfortunately, Rui’s focus was already drawn to something else, and Tsukasa traced his line of sight to…
“Tsukasa-kun, look! It’s the candied fruit skewers I saw Shinonome-kun sharing with Aoyagi-kun before. Let’s try them!” It seemed that Tsukasa’s words had gone completely unheard, and the god let out a very inelegant yelp when he was swiftly dragged over to the stall.
Rui was quick to order from the vendor standing behind the stall, coins already deposited on top of the display. “One stick of strawberries, please!”
However, what caught Tsukasa’s attention was when the kitsune turned and shoved the skewer in his hands. Blinking in confusion, Tsukasa glanced back up to stare questioningly at the golden-eyed fox.
“You only got one, so isn’t this for you? Are we sharing?” The last question came out as more of an afterthought, but it was a dangerous thought to have. Rui started walking away, making Tsukasa follow along.
“Well, you rarely get to indulge in mortal festivities, so I thought that it’d be more fun if I let you try the food at least once.”
Tsukasa frowned. “What about you, then? I thought this was your first time attending a festival too…”
The god trailed off, because for a brief moment, he could’ve sworn that something dark shadowed Rui’s expression, overwhelming it with something colder and more distant. It was gone as quickly as it appeared, but Rui’s smile looked stiffer than normal when he replied.
“Ah, well, I’ll have many opportunities to do this in the future. It’s fine for me to miss out on it just this once.”
Clearly determined to leave the matter behind, Rui was back to ignoring Tsukasa as he strolled ahead. Still, that just didn’t sit well with the blond.
He glanced back down at the stick of glossy red fruit.
Then, he sped up to tug on Rui’s sleeve, forcing the man to halt in his tracks. Tsukasa stuck the fruit out at him, his brows furrowed at the fox spirit.
“You said that we’d be having fun together tonight. I’m not going to let you pretend that you don’t want to enjoy the festivities with me either.”
They were standing in the middle of the pathway and probably blocking off everyone’s walkway, but Tsukasa was too stubborn to care. He watched every minute shift in Rui’s expression, the way the distant look gradually softened into…
“Well, if you’re offering,” Rui said lightly, leaning forward slightly, “I’ll have a bite, then.”
He didn’t bother rushing it, which was arguably the worst part of it all. Tsukasa was left staring wide-eyed as Rui bit down on the fruit at the very top, the brittle coating of sugar cracking under his unnaturally sharp canines.
Rui didn’t stop staring into Tsukasa’s eyes as he ate. His gaze stayed fixed on the god even when Rui stopped to chew and swallow his food, making heat rush up Tsukasa’s neck.
In this position, the noise of the festival quickly faded into the background. The way Rui held his gaze in that cool and unbothered way… it made something in Tsukasa’s chest stutter and want to run off a cliff. The only sign that Rui felt as flustered as him was the way the illusion over his face flickered, as if the kitsune could not properly maintain it while distracted.
…
It was ridiculous, really, for Tsukasa to feel so thrown off by something as normal as watching his best friend share a candied fruit skewer with him.
And even though Tsukasa was the one pushing for the kitsune to eat and enjoy himself earlier, he couldn’t help but feel like he’d lost some kind of battle the god didn’t even know he was fighting.
Maybe that was just Rui’s special ability to make him feel horribly unbalanced.
They continued standing there for a moment that stretched on for far too long. Everything—from the way Rui’s hair caught the light to the way his cat-like pupils dilated as they continued staring into each other’s eyes—Tsukasa was suddenly becoming too aware of it all.
Rui seemed to realise that at the same time.
He coughed abruptly, leaning back a step and immediately glancing at something behind Tsukasa.
“So, anyway…”
Tsukasa didn’t, couldn’t move. What was he even supposed to do after something like that happened?
Rui pointed vaguely over Tsukasa’s shoulder. “Oh, look, they’re selling grilled squid there!”
And then, before Tsukasa’s brain could even attempt to catch up, Rui had already left and nearly disappeared into the crowd.
“R—hey, wait—!”
Tsukasa hurried after him, and thankfully, Rui did slow down to allow the blond to catch up. Rather than talking about what had just transpired earlier, Rui bounced back to being his usual self again, leaving Tsukasa to question everything in the wake of it once again.
Something unpleasant twisted in his gut. Of course, the rest of the evening went on without any more disasters, but…
His heart felt completely and unbearably empty.
He wished he could do it like Rui. So casually oblivious to everything, yet unwittingly filling Tsukasa with false hope. Rui was perfect in every way, and—
“Ne, Tsukasa-kun,” came the call again, and the blond glanced up from his sad-tasting grilled squid. He couldn’t help but feel that Rui sounded more subdued than usual, even with a smile on his face. “Look, they’re releasing lanterns into the water.”
Further down the riverbank, people were crouched near the water, carefully setting candle-lit paper lanterns afloat, sending them drifting downstream.
The stream of light was a mesmerising sight. “Do you want to do that too?”
Rui shrugged, depositing a few coins into the awaiting hands of the vendor before grabbing a lantern.
“Why not? Let’s release one together.”
Without another word, the kitsune went ahead to find a good spot. Chest feeling uncomfortably tight, Tsukasa followed him down the short slope to the riverbank. Rui crouched near the edge of the stone embankment, and a moment later, the dragon joined him.
They both held the lantern over the water for a moment, the thin paper glowing brilliantly between their hands.
“…”
“…are we supposed to make a wish or something?”
“Hmm… maybe?”
Tsukasa stared at the lantern. “How are you as clueless about this as I am?”
“Let’s just make a wish anyways.” Rui’s smile looked a little more genuine this time. “We probably shouldn’t say it out loud, though, or it won’t come true.”
Doesn’t that only apply to birthday cakes or burning incense sticks? Tsukasa wondered, but he indulged Rui. Closing his eyes, Tsukasa searched for something to wish for. He was a god, and he didn’t really have any—
A certain kitsune with glittering topaz gems for eyes and a beautiful cat-like smile appeared in his mind’s eye.
Tsukasa almost dropped the lantern directly into the water.
An incredibly terrifying thought indeed. Coughing, the dragon averted his gaze from Rui’s look of concern. He hoped that with the poor lighting in the area, Rui couldn’t see the way the tips of Tsukasa’s ears were now tinted pink.
“What?” He asked a little defensively when Rui didn’t stop looking at him. The warm glow of the lantern was making the kitsune look even more unfairly handsome than he usually was. Mercifully, Rui only shrugged before turning away again.
“It’s nothing. Are you done making your wish?”
Tsukasa fought to keep all of his emotions from showing on his face. “Yep. I’m guessing you have as well?”
A dip of his chin, and then they were lowering the lantern onto the surface of the tranquil water. Tsukasa watched as the current gradually pulled it into the wider stream of golden lights, and he felt a small, inexplicable twinge in his heart as the spot of light disappeared, merging with the sea of gold ahead.
Rui stood up first, dusting his hands off as he stared down the riverbank.
“Come on,” he started, and Tsukasa obeyed. “We should find a nice place to sit so we can watch the fireworks; it’ll get more crowded later.”
“Alright.”
After walking down the riverbank for some time, they eventually found a nice boulder overlooking the sea to rest on. Some people had the same idea as well, the sounds of their animated conversation filling the air as they waited.
They watched the water for a while until Tsukasa finally found it in himself to break the ice.
“What’d you wish for just now?” He asked, mainly for a conversation starter.
He was only given a small smile in return.
“I thought we agreed not to tell each other, or it wouldn’t come true. Unless… would Tsukasa-kun like to tell me his wish too?” The god's eyes widened immediately.
“A-absolutely not!”
“Hehe, that’s what I thought~”
They drifted back into silence, and while it wasn’t as awkward as before, Tsukasa felt the growing urge to fidget as it stretched on. After a while, he finally dared to sneak a peek at Rui from the corner of his eye.
The kitsune was lost in thought, as he had been ever since the brief incident earlier. Tsukasa half-expected him to not say anything again until the fireworks started, so he was very startled when Rui spoke out of nowhere.
“You know, you have no idea how happy I am that we got to do this together. It isn’t something that happens all the time.”
Yet again, Rui’s voice was uncharacteristically soft. Just like everything else related to Rui, Tsukasa found it difficult to properly discern what the kitsune might be thinking or feeling when he spoke.
“I think that’s partially my fault.” Rui cocked his head slightly. “I haven’t been as diligent in visiting you, and I’m not going to use the war as an excuse for that.”
Rui hummed softly.
“But you’re here now, aren’t you? I’m already happy with our arrangement.”
“It doesn’t always sound like it, though.”
Tsukasa watched and tried not to spontaneously combust as the kitsune swept his hand up, pressing a gentle kiss to the god's knuckles.
“As long as I can still spend time with you, I’ll always be happy, Tsukasa-kun. Just spending time with you is more than enough for me.”
The man flushed, resisting the urge to yank his hand back out of embarrassment.
“I-I see…” Rui winked at him cheekily, even when he adjusted his grip on Tsukasa’s hand so their fingers intertwined together. The warmth of Rui’s palm soaked into his skin, filling him with a comforting sensation.
“We can do this again next year if you’d like… without the disguises, Rui.” The blond glared pointedly at the grinning kitsune, but he continued. “We’ll ignore the villagers and just enjoy ourselves.”
“Even if they try to swarm us with food again?”
“Aren’t you a kitsune? If you really want to spend uninterrupted time with me, I’m sure you’ll find a way to scare them off.”
They burst into laughter, and then Rui was smiling softly, gently squeezing Tsukasa’s hand.
“Next year?” Rui’s voice came out sounding a little timid, which made Tsukasa squeeze his hand back as well.
“Of course, I promise.”
“Hehe, I’ll take your word for it, my star~”
My star.
Unfortunately, that term of endearment then proceeded to make Tsukasa’s heart do a few million backflips and run in a few circles. Rui’s lyrical voice and teasing laughter, his beautiful smile, the way he said Tsukasa’s name with such fondness and reverence…
Time and time again, Tsukasa had proven to himself that he really just couldn’t keep himself away from Rui.
Now might be the right time to say it, right?
He opened his mouth.
“Rui, I—”
The loud explosion of fireworks cut him off, vivid colours blooming in the night sky. Just like this, the words he wanted to utter were lost, and the sound drowned any attempt at such a conversation out. Normally, Tsukasa would be grateful for such an interruption, but…
Rui gasped at the first round of fireworks, gold eyes twinkling in wonder.
“They’re really beautiful. Tsukasa-kun, we should move locations to get a better view—oh, were you going to say something?”
Oh no. As always, Tsukasa quickly swallowed down the hurt in his heart, replacing it with a tight smile.
“Ah, it was… nothing important. Let’s go.”
Fortunately for them, they managed to snatch up a better position in front before the crowd showed up. As another round of fireworks went off, Tsukasa gazed up at the myriad of beautiful colours in the sky—and in that moment, he thought that he’d be content to just watch fireworks with Rui by his side forever.
Suddenly, Rui nudged him with an elbow, prompting the god to glance at him questioningly. When the kitsune lightly jerked his head towards something behind them, Tsukasa became keenly aware of the conversation between the villagers behind them.
“Hey, isn’t that the crown prince and his lover? I heard the rumours that they were here, but I didn’t expect that the king would allow them to do this.”
“They’re having fun watching the fireworks together, maybe we shouldn’t disturb them.”
“I actually want to see if they do anything.”
Tsukasa shot furtive glances at Rui. What were they supposed to do? From the way the kitsune cocked his head, he clearly heard what was being said about them. What did he—
“Lean in.”
Rui’s words didn’t register in his head at first. “H-huh?”
But the kitsune was already moving, stepping closer to Tsukasa and lifting a hand to the back of his head so Rui’s long sleeve blocked out his face. With a flick of his wrist, Tsukasa’s eyes widened as Rui pulled out his fan and opened it between them on the other side, fully shielding their faces from the crowd.
Suddenly, it felt like the world had narrowed down to something frighteningly narrow. There was only Rui before him, the fox spirit’s soft floral scent filling Tsukasa’s senses.
Just like before, in that fraction of time, there only existed the two of them.
So, without warning, Rui leaned down to kiss him.
Tsukasa watched it happen in what almost felt like slow motion. As multicoloured fireworks bloomed overhead, Tsukasa watched Rui’s eyes flutter shut as the remaining distance between them closed, every action of his spelled out for the dragon.
And with his eyes closed and face set in a relaxed expression, Tsukasa couldn’t help but feel that Rui looked more beautiful than usual.
He should’ve known better, though.
Shamefully, Tsukasa felt his heart sink when Rui stopped short, just shy of brushing his lips against Tsukasa’s own. The kitsune still didn’t open his eyes, completely oblivious to the expressions that flashed across Tsukasa’s face in that instant, for even the most skilled actor would have trouble hiding them.
Tsukasa’s eyes darted down to Rui’s lips, positioned just a hairsbreadth away from him. If the blond so much as leaned forward, he’d connect their lips in that long-awaited kiss. Tsukasa’s heart stuttered, pounding so hard against his ribs that he swore he could hear it in his ears.
The truth is right before me. Tsukasa continued staring at Rui, the sourness in his heart returning tenth-fold. It twisted like a viscous creature, making everything ache and hurt worse than if Rui actually rejected him out loud.
Because this was arguably much worse than that, wasn’t it? If Rui truly liked him, he wouldn’t be leaving that gap between their lips. Internally, a voice screamed at Tsukasa to just close the distance fully and make their kiss real. It was loud, insistent, right and—
He just couldn’t bring himself to do it.
With a fizzle and pop, another firework exploded, painting Rui in many dazzling colours.
When Rui opened his eyes again, Tsukasa had leaned away fully, cheeks flushed enough for it to look convincing as he coughed. The embarrassment on Tsukasa’s face wasn’t entirely faked, but it was only made worse by the gentle laugh that followed.
Rui nudged him lightly, a grin on his face.
“Hehe, I hope you—”
“You can’t be serious!”
The two immortal beings immediately turned to the source of the voice, and Tsukasa almost buried his face in his hands upon seeing a furious Akito pointing at them, indignation written all over his expression. Behind him stood the real Toya, who appeared to be questioning all of his life choices as he observed the scene before him.
Giggling lightly, Rui waved his hand and dismissed their disguises instantly, melting them away like snow. If it were possible, Akito looked even angrier with the reveal of their identities.
“Kamishiro-senpai, you—!”
Rui’s hand quickly wrapped around Tsukasa’s wrist.
“Tsukasa-kun, we’re busted—time to run!”
“Huh?! W-wait, Rui!”
Before Tsukasa knew it, he was being dragged away by the kitsune again as Akito’s furious voice followed them all the way past the crowd—and then beyond the festival’s walls.
Like before, they left the ghost of that moment behind, and it lingered unpleasantly in Tsukasa’s mouth like the taste of ash.
How many more times are we going to do this song and dance? Tsukasa kept running with Rui, the sound of the kitsune’s bright laughter muffled by the overwhelming thoughts in his head.
Ah…
I missed my opportunity again.
⋆⭒˚｡⋆
“That was pretty fun, wasn’t it?”
Rui appeared to have barely broken a sweat, whereas Tsukasa felt like he was about to keel over. Wasn’t he the one who usually did the training for war and combat?
They’d successfully left Akito and Toya behind, temporarily saving Tsukasa from the conversation that would follow. For now, all thanks to Rui, he’d have to stew in his own humiliation.
“Remind me to never agree to your weird ideas again.”
The kitsune only appeared delighted by Tsukasa’s words, playfully winking at him.
“Aww, are you sure? You say this every time, but you still agree to my ‘weird ideas’ either way. I don’t think I buy that anymore, Tsukasa-kun~”
The blond smacked him lightly across the back of his head, and predictably, Rui started whining and complaining, pouting all the way back to the shrine.
For the rest of the night, Tsukasa allowed himself to indulge in some wine that Rui broke into just for him. When Akito eventually returned with Toya, they were chastised for their actions that night until Rui started teasing the ginger relentlessly about other things. Fortunately for Tsukasa, Toya didn’t seem to hold him to the events of that evening, and the four of them did eventually settle down around the table for wine.
Tsukasa certainly didn’t miss the looks Toya shot at him. The prince was well aware of his feelings for Rui, and the blue-haired boy definitely witnessed some part of their fake kiss.
Acknowledging that, however, would only bring the painful feelings back in full force, and Tsukasa wasn’t looking forward to that in the slightest.
He settled for sitting back and watching Rui bicker with Akito, a smile on his face.
If they could stay like this forever, it would be more than enough for him.
But by the end of the day, Tsukasa felt nothing but the sharp tang of—
⋆⭒˚｡⋆
Fear.
Pain.
Regret.
Regret, regret, regret, regret—
Clutched in his arms, held close to his chest, Tsukasa stared down at the purple-haired kitsune he now clutched in his arms, and tried to ignore the warm crimson that seeped into his fine silk robes.
Rui coughed again, a thin stream of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His voice was almost a rasp when he forced his words out.
“This situation doesn’t look very ideal for me.” The god pulled him closer. Why did the world and Rui’s beautiful face suddenly look so blurry?
“D-don’t say anything! I can still heal you, Rui!”
A sad smile.
“Tsukasa-kun, everything has to end someday.”
“Don’t say that!”
Rui sighed, his eyes sliding shut. Tsukasa felt something warm slip down his cheeks.
“…I don’t have to. You know you can’t save me anymore, Tsukasa-kun.”
The god pressed his hand harder against the opening of the deep wound in Rui’s abdomen. The culprit, a spear bearing the make and style of their enemy, had been cast to the side from the moment Tsukasa caught the injured kitsune in his arms.
Everything had happened so fast. One moment, Tsukasa was simply training within the castle’s walls, and in the next second, Rui had dashed through the doors and somehow ended up in the way of an assassination attempt. The blade was made of god-slaying steel, so any other being was sure to perish from it as well. Even with the speed that Tsukasa had reacted…
It had already been too late by then.
Tsukasa choked back a sob. It wasn’t supposed to end this way. How could he even call himself a god if he couldn’t even save the one person he loved?
Slowly, with trembling hands, Rui reached up to cup Tsukasa’s face, his palms warm against the dragon's clammy cheeks.
“It’s alright, Tsukasa-kun; I only came to warn you about the attack. As long as you’re safe, I’m happy.”
Tsukasa couldn’t breathe.
“But I can’t just accept that!”
The kitsune sighed fondly. “Tsukasa-kun shouldn’t waste his power on saving me. I already predicted my death a year ago, which is why I wanted to enjoy that festival with you before I had to go.”
His heart stopped.
“W-what?”
Rui stroked his face gently, that damned smile still fixed on his lips.
“Don’t be sad, Tsukasa-kun. It breaks my heart to see you in this way. I’ve come to terms with it ages ago.”
This was unbelievable. It was so unfair. “I can’t come to terms with my best friend dying!”
For the first time, Rui’s smile wavered. “You don’t have to. All I ask is that you don’t let my death affect your ability to protect the people.”
Tsukasa shook his head, but he could no longer say anything as he continued to shake.
“I-I…”
“I’m sorry, Tsukasa-kun.”
Something in him shattered. It might’ve been his heart.
“Why are you apologising?! I should be the one apologising instead!” Rui’s fingers continued to stroke his face, topaz eyes as gentle as ever.
“Hehe… because even when I’m about to die, I can’t bring myself to say the words I’ve been harbouring in my chest for centuries.” Suddenly, it was almost as if the same spear that had pierced Rui’s stomach had been plunged into Tsukasa’s body a million times. “For that and dying like this, my dear Tsukasa-kun, I’m sorry.”
I’m sorry too, Tsukasa wanted to say, but the words evaporated in his throat as he watched Rui’s gaze grow more distant.
His breathing was beginning to slow.
“Hehe, it's alright, Tsukasa-kun. I think I’ll die a happy man, since your face is going to be the very last thing I see in my life.” A pool of crimson was beginning to spread underneath Rui's body, soaking into the kitsune's long hair and Tsukasa's robes.
The dragon couldn't care less about that. Tsukasa tightened his grip on the kitsune again, not daring to blink for fear that it would cause his tears to dissipate.
He didn’t want Rui’s dying face to be the last memory he had of the love of his life.
“R-Rui,” he choked out, crystalline tears now falling against his will, “I lo—”
He watched the kitsune exhale slowly…
His chest rose for one final time, and stilled.
His hands fell from Tsukasa’s face, dropping to the ground with a final thud that rattled him to his soul.
From behind, footsteps flooded the chamber he was in, voices cutting over each other in panic as the palace’s guards finally appeared, but the damage had already been done.
Tsukasa didn’t look up, even when concerned voices called for him and tried convincing him to let go. The god only tightened his hold on the one in his arms, tears flowing down his face.
Head lowered, he fought for something, anything, just a sign that there was still hope to be had. He couldn't let anyone take Rui away.
Someone might've called for him again, but Tsukasa didn’t move. His entire body felt alien to him, and he was entirely incapable of moving from his spot.
His mind went blank. Without Rui, what was he supposed to do? How could the world expect him to move on from this? Tsukasa choked on a sob as he fought to revive Rui over and over again, golden light flaring repeatedly from his palms.
It made no difference. Tsukasa was still trapped in this nightmare.
His tears continued to fall. As Tsukasa knelt there, he didn't dare to release his hold on Rui’s body.
Even when his fingers began turning blue and numb, he still couldn’t bring himself to let go.